October 16, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Bob Scammon lived out the words of the medical training. Michael Oliveira experienced the man overboard training in reality.
Scammon, a commercial fishing captain for more than three decades, tried to help a man on board suffering from a heart attack aboard one of his vessels years ago. Oliveira woke up to the news that someone on board the Miss Shauna had fallen overboard in July.
In both situations, the crew dealt with death at sea.
“All that mayday stuff, that is very, very important how to do it,” Oliveira said. “Everything that we’ve learned today is definitely to our benefit. I do think every fisherman, everybody that’s a seaman, needs to know this stuff.”
The Fishing Partnership, a nonprofit organization geared toward improving the health and safety of fishermen, provided a safety training day at UMass Dartmouth SMAST on Friday. Safety experts offered tips and training on medical emergencies, man overboard, getting into a lifesuit and using it in the water, fire safety, damage control, life raft information and flare use.
“Fishing is the most dangerous job in the country,” J.J. Bartlett, president of the Fishing Partnership, said. “And New England’s waters are the deadliest in the country. Without programs like this fishermen wouldn’t have access to lifesaving safety training.”